MAXWELL ON MONDAY - NOV 19

MAXWELL ON MONDAY

Student protesters take their message about fees to the steps of Stormont.

The DUP's Iris Robinson becomes the first member of this Assembly to be banned from the chamber for a day.

Enviroment Minister, Arlene Foster delivers a stern warning to Sinn Fein's Daithi McKay.

And Enterprise Minister, Nigel Dodds encourages more people to come view politics in action.

TRAGEDY IN OMAGH

What exactly happened in 4 Lammy Crescent on Tuesday 13th November 2007 is still shrouded in mystery. Shock at a horrendous accident quickly turned to disbelief when it became clear that this was premeditated murder.

The true facts of what life was like inside this unassuming end terrace have gone to the grave with Arthur McElhill, his partner Lorraine McGovern and their children Caroline, Sean, Bellina, Clodagh and James.

Neighbours say Mr McElhill was a convicted sex offender and he suffered depression. Some also say he was a control freak. Perhaps then his last act in the early hours of Tuesday was a desperate last attempt to exercise control over life and death in a world he no longer felt part of. Certainly this information, no matter how anecdotal, combined with the fact that police are not seeking to find anyone outside the house, points an accusatory finger in Mr McElhill's direction.

Omagh is a town too familiar with this particular kind of tragedy. Needless deaths rather than genuine accidents. Last night neighbours, school children and emergency services looked on as two pure white vans took the remains of the family from the blackened shell they once called home to Foster Green's mortuary in Belfast.

As local children went back to school today, many of them will stare intently at empty seats once occupied by their friends. It will effect them deeply and that's already been recognised by the provision of counselling. The thought running through their heads, "How could someones dad have done something like this?"

Stories like this one inevitably attract much media coverage - sometimes referred to as a "media circus". But if it is a story which prompts others to speak about what goes on behind closed doors or seek help before it's too late. Then it is a story worth telling.

Some Citybeat coverage:
Broadcast - 14th November 6pm
Broadcast - 15th November 6pm

MAXWELL ON MONDAY - NOV 12

MAXWELL ON MONDAY

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness gets into the festive spirit.

First Minister Ian Paisley addresses the issue of 'collective responsibility' in the Executive.

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Edwin Poots assures members a stadium could still be built before the 2012 Olympics.

And the Environment Minister says she'd rather be a Hollywood superstar than a bald Russian? Obviously?

MAXWELL ON MONDAY - NOV 5

MAXWELL ON MONDAY

The first Assembly session after the Autumn recess.

Finance Minister Peter Robinson outlines the October Monitoring round.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey is quizzed on his comment about the budget by the DUP's Iris Robinson.

Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy addresses the issue of Road safety.

And the UUP's Danny Kennedy scores a hat-trick.

ALL OF A SUDDEN THREE COME ALONG

Waiting for the Assembly to get down to serious business has been a bit like waiting for a bus to come along. Nothing in sight and then all of sudden three important documents come along.

Yesterday, the three in question were the Programme for Government, the Investment Strategy and the Budget.

In simple terms these documents set out the Executive's detailed spending plans for the next three years and their longer term ambitions.

First Minister, Ian Paisley, revealed that the creation of 6,500 high level jobs would be a top priority. He also committed Northern Ireland to reducing its carbon footprint and announced free bus travel for those 60 and over.

Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, revealed a massive spending programme on building new school's or modernising old ones. He also announced £18 billion of investment in infrastructure in the net 10 years, delivering new roads, an improved sewerage system and a rapid transport system for the Greater Belfast Area.

Later, Finance Minister, Peter Robinson delivered the budget. He announced the largest ever investment in local Health Services. He also pledged to freeze the regional domestic rate for the next 3 years due to the introduction of water charges.

For more detail see the PDF versions of the Programme for Government, the Investment Strategy and the Budget below.

• Programme for Government
• Investment Strategy
• Budget

These draft documents will now be debated by the Assembly and must be agreed by 4 January 2008 in order for them to be implemented in the next financial year.

MAXWELL ON MONDAY

Here is last weeks podcast - sorry about the delay - I'm in Germany. Tomorrow there will be a stand-in.

D

PMQ's: GORDO'S IN CONTROL

It was always going to be a bit of a bear fight.

Gordon Brown's decision not to hold an election brought him criticism from across the board - not least from journalists who were starting to get into 'campaign coverage mode'. The Conservatives, quietly relieved, said he was running scared and that he didn't hold it because he couldn't guarantee winning it. They said he'd bottled it and in PMQ's today that was the first joke.

One MP asked if the PM might like to visit his local bottle-bank - ho-ho tee hee - yes these people are running the country.

Then it was David Cameron's turn to take the floor. The Tory benches vibrated with excitement, the fight was about to begin. Mr Cameron asked Mr Brown if he continued to change his mind how could the country really trust him. Luckily Mr Brown had been waiting for this question and had prepared a list of things which the Conservatives had changed their minds on over the summer - top of the list was grammar schools. Mr Brown said he wouldn't be taking any lessons from the Tories on making decisions.

Then Mr Camerson accused the PM of copying their ideas on inheritance tax, again the PM was prepared for this one without need of a note. He rattled off the figures and said that the Tories plan wasn't costed.

Mr Cameron, now on a bit of a role, moved to the European Treaty, he asked the PM why he wouldn't hold a referendum and accused him of treating the British people as fools. Mr Brown countered that because every one of the British government's changes had been made to the treaty, there was no need for a referendum and he added that other countries who were thinking of having a referendum had now decided not to do so.

Mr Cameron's comments were, it has to be said, of a generic nature, and Mr Brown did give substantive responses and used statistical detail where needed. The PM landed a heavy blow when he reminded Mr Cameron of his promise to remove punch and judy politics - Mr Cameron had no response.

If the Conservatives were looking to make Gordon Brown look weak today - they categorically failed to do so. David Cameron's performance was strong but he did look like a university student upstart having a debate with his authorative but dour Lecturer. At no point was Mr Brown on the back foot and at no point was he humiliated. I suspect he will rather enjoy his lunch.

KELLY'S FULLY SIGNED UP TO PARITY

I'm not exactly quick of the mark, but I spent a large part of yesterday preparing a rather long radio piece on the debate over the Irish language. It certainly caused a storm in the chamber - and sent the UUP's David McNarry into a kind of yo-yo mode that made him walk in and out of the debate at junctures which oddly coincided with another member speaking Irish.

Gerry Kelly was chosen to speak for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. I'm told this is just because it was his turn to speak and not because others wanted to place a bit of distance between themselves and the debate. I have absolutely no knowledge of the Irish Language or Ulster Scots, but I'm told Mr Kelly spoke both during his discourse.

Caral Ni Chuilin spoke for Sinn Fein. She stated that the Irish language should be something that unites everyone here. She accepted that the issue had become politicised but blamed unionists for making it a political issue. Ms Ni Chuilin also played to unionists Presbyterian heritage stating it was something important to earlier generations of the largest protestant denomination on the Island.

The motion was thrown out by then 90 members who were in attendance. It was hardly a surprising result. The question remains that with so many other important local issues and with no legislation yet to enacted by the Assembly, should this storm have been confined to a teacup?

DON'T MESS WITH HAY

Assembly Speaker, William Hay, was in good form today. He managed to deflect several rogue questions that members tried to fire at the First Minister during OFMDFM questions. One was Alex Attwood's attempt to bring up the issue of why the First Minister had not decided to speak to the House about the decision to re-advertise the post of Victims Commissioner.

The second was a supplementary after a question was posed about Freedom of Information. The offending Assembly member asked Dr Paisley about the letter he sent (signed by his son) to a lottery fund which claimed that a private developer's plans for the Giant's Causeway had UNESCO approval, something UNESCO denies. According to the Belfast Telegraph this evening, this issue may now come under investigation by the Commons.

Some of the Speaker's interventions can be heard on today's 'Maxwell on Monday' from Belfast Tonight on Citybeat.

The fact that the Speaker stopped both questions being put to the First Minister (though the first I refer to was brought up again by Alliance leader, David Ford) does show the tremendous power that he has. According to the Speaker's Office it is impossible to contradict the Speaker on the floor of the Chamber and he is only accountable to the Assembly as a whole - he is not subject to any over-arching body or ombudsman.* The speaker can only be removed if the Assembly choose a new one. His judgements and procedural decisions are based on the Standing Orders, precedent and in the last instance Erskine May. (a man from the 19th century obsessed with Parliamentary procedure - his Parliamentary Practice book is considered a part of the British constitution - you know the one that isn't written down!)

Now some people who know a thing or two about being beyond questioning are the Burmese Junta. The situation in the country came up in the Chamber today because of a motion by the SDLP. I accept that the Assembly should back campaigns that help the Burmese people - but I wonder how much value there is in a devolved region of the UK giving a significant amount of debating time to a foreign policy issue. We don't have our own foreign office, nor are we ever likely to have one, but imagine if we did?

They could nominate Gregory Campbell Ambassador to Vatican City?

Some of the rest of today's Assembly action can be heard on 'Maxwell on Monday'

*According to Speaker's Office

HAS ANY ONE CHECKED UDA DATE?

On the 10th August Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, gave an ultimatum to the UDA. In reference to CTI funding she said, "The funding will end 60 days from now unless there is clear and demonstrable evidence that the UDA has engaged meaningfully with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning and has started to decommission its weapons."

Unless my maths is way out 60 days from the moment she made that statement would end on Monday 8th October, yet the date being widely reported is the 9th.

As the minister will be in Brussels until the 11th she will not make a statement until her return. However the end date of the period on which she will make her judgement remains the 8th or 9th - depending on who you believe.

Sources within DSD say she will take time to read reports from the IICD when she returns and though a date has not been decided for her to speak on the matter it is likely to be the 16th or 17th October.

If the funding is withdrawn the issue won't end there, her decision will likely be the subject of a judicial review. Also, Frankie Gallagher from the Ulster Political Research Group has told me that many of those working for Farset (the organisation benefiting from the CTI funding+) have already taken legal advice as they feel they have been defamed in being linked to the UDA.